Economic stimulus: now or later?

Obama has said that while there is no time to waste in passing an economic stimulus package, it will take many years for America to fully recover from the current crisis. Should Congress pass the stimulus immediately or engage in more debate?

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in October. The National Bureau of Economic Research has reported that the US economy has been in a recession since December 2007. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters